Review- CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser gently cleanses the skin while helping to maintain the right moisture balance. It is proven to prevent moisture from escaping (evaporating) from the skin’s surface.

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser provides gentle, effective cleansing while it restores and enhances the skin barrier. Its fragrance-free, moisturizing formulation is nonirritating and noncomedogenic (does not cause pimples or acne by clogging the pores).

I have to say this is one of the best facial cleansers I have ever tried!! It is so gentle and smooth and on the safe side for people with sensitive skin and/or for those who have super dry skin and are showing early signs of aging. Eek! At first, I didn't expect too much, but the power behind this cleanser is amazing! After just a few washes and within the first week, I noticed my tiny, pre-wrinkled, fine lines, are starting to fade and my skin is dramatically looking smoother and softer (more youthful, too) than before. I would actually pay a higher price tag for these results, but thankfully the cleanser is reasonably affordable and very accessible at major drugstores, that I can't help but fully embrace this wonderful skin-saver product! Also, as an added plus, the formula was created with a team of dermatologists and is recommended by skin experts and dermatologists alike. This is definitely worth a try, especially for someone who needs/wants a facial cleanser that is incredibly hydrating, gentle, and promotes youthful (say take away a few years!) healthy-looking skin.

Barbara says:

When it came down to it, I didn’t require much from an everyday facial cleanser—just that it effectively, but gently, remove dirt and not strip my skin. I’d tried cleansers that promised to moisturize but always felt my skin wasn’t really clean afterwards. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser turned out to promise something completely different along these lines and a very nice promise it turned out to be, too.

This cleanser contains goodies you might find elsewhere, just not all in one product—ceramides to soften skin, cholesterol (great stuff for your skin, though not in your body!), and hyaluronic acid (the main moisturizing ingredient found in every top of the line moisturizer). PLUS, it’s an emulsion which means it’s easily able to penetrate skin and it’s time-released so that its protective elements keep on working throughout the day.
Even if you use ex-foliating cleansers and deep cleaning cleansers, you still need something perfect for plain old everyday use. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser to the rescue. It can be found at a couple of chain drugstores and also ordered on the internet.

Review - NYC Cosmetics Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss

Color and shine on the go!

This high gloss formula smoothes & softens lips while indulging your senses in the scent & flavor of melon.

I like NYC Cosmetics. They are inexpensive and make a variety of products. This new lip glider is one of them. Down Town Brown is the color I have. It looks like a brownish-bronze color but it goes on very nude with a little bit of shimmer.

I like the fact that the body of this is slim and not short and stumpy like regular lip glosses. It fit in my makeup bag very nicely.

I wasn't crazy about the melon flavor. I wish they offered different flavors for the colors. Don't expect it to last very long. It averaged at about twenty minutes for me.

Overall, its OK when you consider the price and amount you get.

Trish says: Wow, I'm a huge fan of this lip gloss! It definitely exceeded my expectations and the melon taste didn't seem to bother me at all strangely. I tried it in "Carnegie Melon" which looks like a light rose shade. A little too light to wear alone for me, but when I used it on top of my lipstick, oh my, the shine and plumpness really came through and I'm overall very happy with the look! Maybe layering is the way to go with this gloss as it seems to add that extra pop, adding a fun and flirty look as well as feeling smooth and hydrating at the same time. For the price and high-shine glossiness, I would easily repurchase this when I run out! This definitely ranks among my favorite drugstore beauty finds!

Review- Strip: Ministry of Waxing, NYC Location

The name is a little odd but once it was explained to me, I kind of liked it. This is a Shanghai-based business and in China, government is run by ministries, not departments like it is here - thus Ministry of Waxing.  And if there was an official position of "Chief Waxer", Dejha at Strip would certainly get my vote!  When is the last time you felt relaxed while being waxed?  And how many of you go to waxing places that "double-dip" the applicator in the tub of wax?  Those are other people's skin cells in that wax pot!  Not so at Strip.  They have individual waxing kits hanging on the wall; that really put my mind at ease.  Plus, the space is super clean, inviting and sterile at the same time. Now granted, I have very high pain tolerance, but I barely felt a thing while Dejha waxed my legs except for the ankles and feet, which always smart.  Even that wasn't as bas as what I've become accustomed to.  Then onto the bikini.  Nothing fancy, just a clean up.  Can I tell you that it was so painless we didn't even miss a beat in our conversation!  They use a special soft wax for your more sensitive parts that hardens and doesn't use a muslin strip.  It totally makes all the difference!  Honestly I can't see myself going anywhere else for this service in the future.  Between the lack of pain, the cleanliness and the superior customer service, I'd feel cheated going to another waxer.  Keep your eyes on this place, it's going to be very popular!

Review- Mehron Cheek Cream

Colorful, Smooth and Long Lasting cheeks are applied with CHEEK Creams by Mehron. The Makeup Experts at Mehron have developed this super creamy CHEEK Creams that can be used as a blusher using their 80 years of experience producing Makeup for the Performers. CHEEK Creams are concentrated, making them easy to use for highlighting, contouring and lining the beauty of your cheeks. Don't hide your cheeks, accent their natural beauty with the effervescent colors of CHEEK Creams by Mehron. These CHEEK Creams are made to provide a smooth application over cream and cake bases. .3oz. $5.95.

I'm so glad Hillary introduced me to the Mehron makeup line! I absolutely love this Cheek Cream as it is so easy to apply and blend. (I use my fingers, as I am that lazy!) The color is so rich and nicely pigmented that I only needed a little to reach a desired effect. In the past, I've tried many cream blushes - from drugstore brands to expensive varieties- but this Mehron blush is a top contender, especially at such an affordable price and high quality! It's especially a great blush for a night out, but I also used it to blend in with my favorite daytime blushes for the office. By itself, the cream blush didn't seem to last all day long - but working it in with my everyday blushes, it definitely brought more life and color to the usual powder blushes I use during the day. I'm definitely a huge fan, and since it's so affordable, there's no guilt in trying a few different shades and adding more quality variety to your makeup kit! I'm totally hooked!

Review - Beauty For Real Illuminating Lip Gloss

Want to make your lips look extra pouty and plush? This refreshingly cool lip gloss features a cutting-edge plumping formula that penetrates deep within the skin's surface to help you achieve full, luscious lips. Plant-derived antioxidants like green tea and grape seed extracts work to firm and renew while aloe vera and avocado oil soothe skin, giving you a softer, prettier pout.

The best thing I can say about this product is that my roommate S. has stolen it. I was informed by my other roommate T. that unless I specifically demand it back, I will not get it back, because my roommate S. is obsessed with it. This all started several weeks ago, on T's birthday, when we piled into a car to go to a bar we'd never been to before, but sounded cool (and was, indeed, cool). Because it was dark, I thought it a perfect opportunity to test out this lip gloss because it has FREAKING LIGHTS ON IT.

There are two little LEDs on the cap of the gloss, so when you turn it on and apply the gloss, your lips are illuminated. "But, Movie Maven," you may be saying, "the lights won't help me if I don't have a mirror." Well, guess what - there's a FREAKING MIRROR ON IT TOO. One side of the square container has a mirror on it.

The lip gloss is fine. Run-of-the-mill, nicely plumping (apparently a bunch of my roommate's friends also used it and declared their lips to be fuller...I'm not sure I actually want it back now), and in good colors. But let's be real here, ladies. The lights are the selling point, and they are freaking cool.

Trish says: The packaging is definitely cute and practical! I'm a huge fan of the boxy tube and mirror. I agree with Movie Maven, the gloss itself is pretty nice. The shade goes on really lightly and adds that little bit of plump and shine, but nothing too outstanding about it. I'm a sucker though for products in adorable cases, so even though the gloss itself doesn't shine the way I would want it to, I can't help but carry it around in my bag everywhere I go. It's always nice to have with me and handy too, especially if you're trying to apply lip gloss in the dark!